Means for holding and dispensing articles

ABSTRACT

A holder with a plurality of articles arranged and captively held therein so that they can be fed in sequence to a dispensing point, the holder being formed at this dispensing point so that when an article is located there part of the article is exposed whereby this part can be secured to another article, for example by welding or adhesive, while still being positively held in the holder.

United States Patent 1 1151 3,653,542 Russell Apr. 4, 11972 [541 MEANS FOR HOLDING AND 3,101,477 8/1963 Lemiz ..221/301 x DISPENSING ARTICLES 3,157,311 1 ll/ 1964 Bromfman ..221/307 X 3,206,068 9 1965 Me uillin et al. ..221 307 [72] inventor: Gerald Werner Russell, 65 Uphill Road, Q I

l d 537,531 4/1895 Ham ..206/56 DF NW 7 mg'dnd 1,439,918 12/1922 Smith... ..206/56 A [22] Filed: Feb. 18, 1969 2,951,249 9/1960 Saltz ..206/56 DF [2]] App]. NOJ 800,064 1,671,809 5/1928 Briggs ..206/56 AC Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney-Paul H. Smolka .4,196 c "1 0,420 68 Mar 8 real Bri am 1 ABSTRACT l52| U.S. ll ..221/307, 206/56 AC A holder with a plurality of articles arranged and captively "A47! 1 H04 held therein so that they can be fed in sequence to a I58] Held 0 Search 221/307; 32/7, l2 A, 14; p g point the holder being formed at this dispensing 206/56 56 AC point so that when an article is located there part of the article is exposed whereby this part can be secured to another article, [56] References Cited for example by welding or adhesive, while still being positively UNITED STATES PATENTS held the holder- 2,900,107 8/1959 Erdmann ..221/312 A UX 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MEANS FOR HOLDING AND DISPENSING ARTICLES BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to means for holding and dispensing articles, especially articles of very small size, which are difficult to handle individually. Examples of such articles are attachments, brackets and other accessories as used in orthodontics to-day. For convenience, reference, will hereinafter be made to articles like these, that is articles as used in orthodontics, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto; it is applicable generally to numerous other articles such as those used in electronic equipment, electrical apparatus etc, etc.

Attachments, brackets and other accessories as used in orthodontics today are at present normally supplied in boxes, compartmented trays or the like from which they are extracted individually as required. Due to their size they are almost always very difficult to pick up and hold, especially when they are to be secured, for example by welding, to some other member. Atypical example of the sort of article with which the present invention is concerned is a winged bracket with a central slot therein in which is located a lock pin for securing one end of a wire tooth brace.

The object of the present invention is generally to facilitate the handling of articles as referred to above.

SUMMARY AND DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION According to this invention there is provided a holder with a plurality of articles arranged and captively held therein so that they can be fed in sequence to a dispensing point, the holder being formed at this dispensing point so that when an article is located there part of the article is exposed whereby this part can be secured to another article, for example by welding or adhesive, while still being positively held in the holder.

The holder may be of any convenient overall shape, but very conveniently it is of elongated shape so that articles therein are disposed in a straight line one behind the other, in like manner to staples in an office stapling machine.

The cross-sectional form of the holder can be varied according to articles which it is to take, the articles being captively retained while at the same time being capable of being fed along the holder to the dispensing point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS By way of example, there will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of this invention consisting of a holder with winged brackets therein as referred to above.

FIG. 1 shows in plan the holder with the winged brackets therein,

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show in perspective, end elevation and underneath plan respectively a single winged bracket, these three Figures being drawn on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 5 illustrates the use of the holder in applying a winged bracket to an orthodontic band,

FIG. 6 is a view in cross sectionof the holder of FIG. 1 with the winged brackets therein, and

FIG. 7 is a view in cross section of the holder of FIG. 1 taken along the lines VII-VII.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT It is pointed out first of all, that even FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 are drawn several sizes larger than actual size. Individual winged brackets are therefore exceedingly small.

The holder shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7 is made from two elongated strips of metal 1 and 2 superimposed one on the other and spot-welded together, as at 3, towards one side. The strip 1 is wider than the strip 2 so that it projects beyond it at the other side, the edge portion of the projecting part 4 being turned through 90 to form a flange 5. The edge portion of the strip 2 adjacent the flange 5 is spaced from the face of the strip 1 so that a slot 6 is defined between the two strips. At one end 7 the two strips 1 and 2 are partly cut away on the side remote from the flange 5. At the other end 8 the two strips are conveniently rounded, mainly to eliminate sharp corners.

Arranged on the flange 5 is a row of winged brackets 10 which are not connected to each other, a single winged bracket being shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The central U- shaped part 11 of each winged bracket slidably engages over the flange 5 and one of the wings 12 thereof engages in the slot 6 defined between the two strips 1 and 2, the arrangement being such that while the winged brackets can he slid along the flange 5 they cannot be disengaged from it between the ends thereof. Actually the slot 6 defined between the two strips 1 and 2 is closed at the end 8, the strips having been tightly pinched together at this point. At the other end 7 the strips are also pinched together but only sufficiently to prevent the winged brackets simply sliding ofi the flange 5 at this end. In other words the one wing 12 of a bracket in the slot 6 cannot simply slide through the restriction caused by pinching the strips together at the end 7, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 7. However, by'the application of slight pressure such wing can be forced through the restriction, whereby the winged bracket as a whole will be separated from the flange 5. The restricted end of the slot 6 in effect provides a dispensing point for thewin ged brackets at the end 7 of the strips 1 and 2 of the holder.

When it is desired to secure one of the winged brackets 10 to an orthodontic band, see FIG. 5, the leading bracket is moved to the dispensing point of the holder, the one wing 12 thereof being lightly engaged in the restricted end of the slot 6. The other wing 12 is, of course, exposed and this is placed against the band so that it is correctly located, and then secured thereto, for example by welding. The holder as a whole is now withdrawn, the one wing'12 of the bracket being forced through the restricted end of the slot 6 in the process. This wing is then also secured to the band. Initially, it is the holder which is manipulated, and this is much easier than handling an individual winged bracket. When the bracket actually leaves the holder it has already been firmly secured to the band by one wing, so that the securing of the other wing is a simple matter. The cutting away of the strips 1 and 2 at the end 70f the holder makes it easier for this end to be inserted into a confined space.

As already indicated, it is envisaged that the present invention will find application to metal and synthetic plastics articlesjMoreover, while reference has been made in the foregoing to orthodontics and articles of small size, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to other fields and articles of comparatively large size. The invention is in fact applicable to any articles which could conveniently be inserted in a holder by means of which manipulation of individual articles could be facilitated.

Iclaim:

I. A holder with a plurality of winged attachments for use in orthodontics arranged and captively held therein so that they can by fed in sequence to a dispensing point, the attachments including a central U-shaped portion, the holder being of elongated shape with the winged attachments disposed in a straight line one behind the other, and each winged attachment having one wing thereof engaged in a slot in the holder, disengagement of this wing from the slot only being possible at the dispensing point at which the other wing of the winged attachment will be exposed so that it can be secured to an orthodontic band while still being positively held in the holder, said holder being formed from two strips of metal superimposed one on the other and secured together to define the said slot between them, one strip being wider than the other and providing a flange which slidably engages the central U- shaped portion of each winged attachment, the slot being open but restricted at at least one end so that force is required to move the wing of an attachment engaged in the slot past the restriction thereby to withdraw the attachment as a whole from the holder.

2. In combination:

a winged orthodontic attachment including a centrally disposed, generally U-shaped portion defining open ended slot;

said U-shaped portion being disposed intermediate two generally coplanar wings connected to and extending laterally of the terminal ends of said U-shaped portion,

a generally upright member received by said U-shaped portion in said open ended slot and at least partially supporting said winged attachment with at least one of said coplanar wings being freely disposed laterally with respect to said upright member;

first means disposed exteriorly of said open ended slot and cooperable with said attachment for preventing the lateral disengagement of said upright member from said 

1. A holder with a plurality of winged attachments for use in orThodontics arranged and captively held therein so that they can by fed in sequence to a dispensing point, the attachments including a central U-shaped portion, the holder being of elongated shape with the winged attachments disposed in a straight line one behind the other, and each winged attachment having one wing thereof engaged in a slot in the holder, disengagement of this wing from the slot only being possible at the dispensing point at which the other wing of the winged attachment will be exposed so that it can be secured to an orthodontic band while still being positively held in the holder, said holder being formed from two strips of metal superimposed one on the other and secured together to define the said slot between them, one strip being wider than the other and providing a flange which slidably engages the central U-shaped portion of each winged attachment, the slot being open but restricted at at least one end so that force is required to move the wing of an attachment engaged in the slot past the restriction thereby to withdraw the attachment as a whole from the holder.
 2. In combination: a winged orthodontic attachment including a centrally disposed, generally U-shaped portion defining open ended slot; said U-shaped portion being disposed intermediate two generally coplanar wings connected to and extending laterally of the terminal ends of said U-shaped portion, a generally upright member received by said U-shaped portion in said open ended slot and at least partially supporting said winged attachment with at least one of said coplanar wings being freely disposed laterally with respect to said upright member; first means disposed exteriorly of said open ended slot and cooperable with said attachment for preventing the lateral disengagement of said upright member from said slot; at least a portion of said attachment being disposed intermediate said first means and said generally upright member; said attachment being disengageable from said generally upright member through movement generally longitudinally thereof; means independent of and cooperable with said attachment for frictionally resisting longitudinal removal of said attachment beyond on end of said upright member; said attachment being relatively slidably movable along said upright member beyond said one end thereof in response to a force exceeding said frictional resistance. 